Improvement in playing-cards



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I fi z-M20563 Queer? Q my 6 v v Jib/er 7 Queen" N.PETER8,PNDYO-LITIIOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. O.

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To all whom it may concern v Be it known that I, JOHN STEVENS, of 'thevillage provedPack of Cards, together with a novel system -or mode ofplayingthesame; and I- declare that the following is a' full, clear, andexact description thereof. My new pack is called by me, The Royal Packand Games. i

The pack consists of fiflzy-seven (57) suits of fourteen cards each,as-follows: Eirst, king; second, queen; third, prince; fourth,piincessiyfitth, writ, sixth, sheriff; seventh, duke; eighthfduchess;ninth, marquis, tenth, earl; eleventh, viscount; twelfth, baron,thirteenth, baroness; fourteenthflittle Tom; andone card known as blackdiamend; or habeas corpus. i

- :The fo uri suitsshall beknown as the suit, the pearl suit,$the goldsuit, and the -silcards, in' four Jerhbellishments,.or bylettersorwords, sothat each suit may be known frdmany other.

eachsuit by the appropriate word j or name for that i suit, and the restof the cardsjof, the same suit, by

the initial letter of thenan e orword. it

In order toexpla-inlmy invention, and the ,mode of playing with myimproved cards, I ,will describe severaldili'erent games,to' wit, thegame of-royalty, the

gameof royal enchre, and the game of royal nines.

, I .Royaltya I i :The game of royalty is playedflby four persons, twoagainst two. The cards must be dealt "out singly, fourteen to eachplayer; The last, or titty-seventh card, must be turned up or faceshowmand-is the trump,

which the dealer takes,throwing awayone card, except so, thedealerftakesit, throws away one card, and

firstdealer. The dealfollow's in rotation thereafter.

If a player makes a Inisdeal, the one deal is lost to him, and the nextplayer takes the deal.

to those who hold them after each hand is played.

'lower thenumber, the higher the card, Trumps prevail over allotherxcardsr i rest in the handsof one partyjby writ and; sheriii, intrumps played by theopposing party upon the same lead.

The we is not in force unlessfplayed with the tandem of Mount Vernon, inthe county of Westchester, and. State. of New York, have invented a newand imdiamond ver suit, difi ering in someway,.by pictorial signs or ,Inthis example,I have distinguished at king of when it, the turned-upcard, is the black diamond; if

niakes'the trump. The person who gets the first kin g in throwing aroundthe cards, one to each player, is

. y The king, queen, prince, and princess, are the royal family, aud, ittrumps,.countas honors in this game,

The king is highest, and so down to little Tom. The.

Theroyal family in trumps only, are subject to aroH N STEVENS, OF MOUNTye RNON, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent 95,160, dated Sqitcmbco 21, 1869.

rmr'novnmmwr IN PLAYING-CARDS.

.The Schedule referred to in these LettersPatent and making part of thesame sherifi' by one person or by partners, upon the same lead, and thenonly effects the arrest and destroys the power of the royal family, orsuchof them as may be arrested, if not stayed by habeas corpus,

The black diamond, or habeas corpus, when'held by those whose honors aresought to be arrested, has power to stay the writ, and restore the royalfamily to liberty and power.

In playing, if one person, whose lead it is, holds both writ andsheriff, in trumps, he or she may issue thewrit, that is,,play themboththe only instance where two cards can be led by one person at thesame time-and this" play demands, compels, the arrest of the royalfamilyin trumps in the'hand's of the party opposed to the writ, and the twohighest honors held by either of the opposing party to the arrest mustbe played in despite of other trumps, unless theparty opposing thearrest hold'the habeas corpus, or black diamond, when they should playit with the highest honor they have, it they have 011e,.

if not, any other trump, if they hold one. The black diamond, so played,protects the royal family in the hands of those opposed to the writagainst its powers, and restores them (the royal family) to honor andpower, when the highest honor played by either party prevails and takesthis double trick,counting four, in tricks, to the winning party.

If the black diamond is not played by the party opposed to the arrest by.writ, at the same lead when the arrest is attempted, honors in theirhands (party opposed to writ) lose their powers, and the writ 'prevails,and counts four, in tricks, to the party making the arrest, though theyplay no honors.

One who has the lead may-play the writ or sheriff of trumps, trusting topartner to make the writ complete, when the opposing party must play thehighest honor they hold, it they have any, and have'not the blackdiamond. If they have the black dian'iond, they should play it in thislead opposed to. the writ, for it black diamond, except to protect andsave from arrest the royal family in the hands of those who hold it,

(when an arrest is atten1pted,)-'has no power, and otherwise is thelowest card in the pack in the game of royalty, and in itself can takeno trick,

, If one person hold both writ-and sheriihiand get po opportunity tolead them both, and they are called outone by one, at different leads,they are not effec tive. They must be played by one person or bypartners at the same lead, and not opposed by habeas corpus, to beeifective; otherwise, they only hold their relative powers, five andsix.

The suit of the leading card must be followed, if possible, by each.succeeding player.

Cards, not trumps, hold their relative powers at all times.

Parties should be particularas to the double trick counting four, andthe single trick two, when the royal family are arrested or sought to bearrested.

The number of tricks held by one party in excess of those held by theopposing party at the end of I each hand, count to those who hold them.

A game, in the play of royalty, shall be fifteen.

Royal Euchrc.

arrest, and tricks count double where the arrest is made or sought to bemade- The deal is decided in the same way, and the dealer has the sameprivilege as in the preceding game, when he turns up-the black diamond,that is, of making the trump; otherwise, you may pass, order up,'orassist.

In dealing, seven cards. are dealt to each person, four at one time andthree at another.

When writ and sherifi' are both led by one person at one time, the royalfamily, with the royal guest, are subject to arrest, and the oppositeparty must play two of the highest of them, except they hold the blackdiamond, the powers of which are the same as in royalty. If the writsucceeds, it counts four to the party who makes the arrest; if not, fourto the opposite party.

When one card, only is led, (writ or sheriffi) with the attempt to makean arrest, it counts two to the winning party.

If you order up or make the trump, and fail, or are euchred, it countstwo to the opposite party.

If you flank the enemy, (that is, take allthe tricks from the opposingparty,) it counts two.

If you play alone and take all the tricks, and at the same time make anarrest, it counts eight.

If you make an arrest and do not take all the tricks, it counts four.

If the person playing alone fails to make an arrest,

three, each for himself or herself, or by four, two against two. Wherethree are playing, one may play it alone, but if he or she fail, each ofthe opponents counts what an opposing party would count where four areplaying.

' A game of royal euchre is eleven.

Royal Nines.

In this game, the deal is decided as in either of the preceding ones.

Nine cards are dealt out to each player, three at a time. The cardturned up is the trump, except it be the black diamond; if so, thedealer takes it, and

makes the trump.

In this game, the black diamond is always the best card.

There is no power of arrest, however, and the relative powers of all.other cards are as named in the game of royalty.

The suit of the leading card must in all cases he followed, it possible,or a trump-card played, except you hold the black diamond, which has'nnlimited power in this game, and maybe played at any time.

When the trump is turned, there is no begging or second dealing, but thenext, or left-handhplayer may agree with thedealcr for a differenttrump, it he can; if not, the game proceeds as usual.

The king, queen, prince, and princess, eaeh counts one to the holders,after the hand is played. Little Tom counts one -to the party who holdsand plays it, and all tricks over four count to the party who hold them.

Thegame is played by four persons, two against two, as partners, by twoagainst each other, or by three, each for himself.

A game is nine. b

definite powers, any game may be played with this pack that may beplayed with the Orehor pack.

Other games may be made up and played with and by means of my cards, andthe games above described are only given as illustrations of the methodof using them, and of their different relative powers.

It will be observed that the number of cards in my pack varies from thenumber of cards now in common use; that the names of the cards are new,with,the

and queen being only selected in this pack to -make their powers diflerfrom those pertaining to them in the cards now in common use; that themanner or system of playing is novel and interesting, and requiresstudy, art, and skill; that the cards writ, sheriii, and black diamond,or habeas corpus, have new, peculiar, and interesting powers, which taxthe wit and ingenuity of players I What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by'Letters Patent, is-' I The combination of the several cards,above described, to form a pack, substantially as set forth.

JOHN STEVENS. Witnesses WM. H. Pn'rrnnnron, GEORGE GoULn.

By throwing out the black diamond, or by giving it I exception of theking and queen, the names of king complete what is therein called theroyal family; and.

